Note: This is a sponsored post; all opinions are my own. 
I was asked to make a twist on a traditional dish: a #NewTraDish using Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce. They asked me to give Eggplant Parmesan a twist. I had never even eaten Eggplant Parmesan before, so coming up with a twist was a little intimidating. A friend said, why not make Eggplant Burgers? So then I decided that Eggplant sliders would be perfect because of the size of the eggplant!
Did you know that each jar of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce is packed with 11 juicy tomatoes, making it richer, thicker and just taste better (vs. previous formula)? I personally am a big fan of Ragú. If you want some other #NewTraDish twist recipes, visit the Ragú Facebook Page. You can also enter to win some great Authentic Italian themed prizes, including a grand prize trip to Italy for a family of four by visiting Ragú Sweeps.
Eggplant Parm Mini Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into rounds
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 jar Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce
- mini hard rolls
Instructions
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Slice the eggplant into ½” slices. If yours are too large, use the mouth of a cup to cut appropriate sized rounds, if desired.
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Place the eggplant rounds in a colander and toss them with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let them drain in the colander over a bowl in the sink for 45 minutes to remove excess moisture.
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Bread the eggplant rounds in batches by coating them in the flour, then the eggs and then the breadcrumbs.
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to liberally coat the bottom of the pan. Pan-fry the breaded eggplant rounds in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping them once until both sides are golden brown. Remove the cooked eggplant rounds and immediately transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue the pan-frying process, changing the oil as necessary, until all of the rounds are cooked.
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Halve the hard mini rolls and add 1 tablespoon of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce to the bottoms of the rolls. Stack an eggplant round atop the sauce, top it with another tablespoon of sauce and a piece of sliced mozzarella. Repeat the assembling process with all of the buns, transferring them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Turn your broiler to high and carefully slide the cookie sheet under the broiler just long enough until the cheese melts. Immediately cap off the mini burgers with the tops of the buns and serve.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/6/14. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, alternate method of entry, and prize descriptions, visit www.RaguSweeps.com. Void where prohibited.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragú®. The opinions and text are all mine.
